‘Died doing what he loved’ Two men remembered following New Market plane crash

NEW MARKET, Tenn. (WATE) — 49-year-old Edwin "Rory" DuPont and 74-year-old Allen Holman were a generation apart in age, but connected by a shared love of flying. They took off from Downtown Island Airport in Knoxville together, neither knowing this would mark their final flight. Their plane went down in a field near Burchell Road around 1:10 p.m. on Monday, April 13. Now, Holman's family is remembering the lasting impression both men leave behind. "Hearing the news on Monday was so traumatic," explained Haley Evans, Holman’s daughter. Holman was a hobby pilot, and Dupont was a Top Gun fighter pilot. Holman loved connecting with the community, whether on the golf course or in the air, logging more than 4,000 flight hours. "If you saw my dad walking out of Ingles with his fried chicken and chicken salad and his rubber-holed Croc shoes and his khaki shorts and a fishing shirt. You would never know that that man was the president of a country club or owned an airplane and flew it. He was the most humble and gracious human being,” said Haley. "We would just always hang out. We would go flying together. He would fly me to breakfast one time. That was really fun, and he was just the best person to hang out with," added Amelia Evans, Holman’s granddaughter. They remember him as brilliant and kind; his family said this tragedy brings back pain. 19 years ago, Holman lost his son in a similar way. "It was so reminiscent of those days with my brother of holding on to hope of maybe they're okay, maybe they were alive, and finding out that they're not is… It's crushing. There's a little bit of poetic justice for my dad in some ways. He has spent 19 years truly aching to be with my brother again. And as cliché as it sounds, you could say he died doing what he loved, I think for us, what keeps it from being poetic is he was not the only person in the plane that day," said Haley. Holman spent his final moments in the cockpit with DuPont. "There was another unbelievable human being in that plane, a Top Gun fighter, a commander, a father, and a husband, and there is no poetic justice there. So for us, I think the weight of knowing that Rho also lost his life that day is- it weighs very heavily on our family," said Haley. Haley shares she's found peace after praying for a sign from her father. A mourning dove showed up and has been at the family's home ever since. "They are a sign of spiritual transgression and a message of peace, hope and faith from a recently passed loved one. And I thought. I don't know that I could have gotten a more bold sign than that," explained Haley. Haley told 6 News that if she could tell her father anything right now, it would be that being loved by him was the biggest blessing in the family’s lives. Haley said the family has received lots of support from the community during this time, and they will continue to honor Holman by sharing his generosity with others. She also added that she hopes to love and support DuPont’s family in any way she can.